Admission Criteria
APPLY NOW REQUEST INFO GRADUATE COLLEGEApplication Opens: OTCAS July 19
Program Application Deadline: OTCAS Deadline November 1
WHY UTRGV:
Our dedicated faculty is focused on facilitating your successful journey of becoming an occupational therapist. We intentionally admit smaller cohorts, having a low student-instructor ratio to ensure students receive individualized academic instruction to succeed.
Applicants considered for admission are those applicants who possess the academic and professional promise necessary for development as competent, caring members of the health care community. Within this competitive admission framework, multiple criteria are used to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool that exceeds the number of seats available. Interested individuals are advised to complete their applications as early as possible to ensure timely consideration.
Admission criteria for each summer-entry cohort are dependent on satisfactory completion of all prerequisite requirements before the November 1 application deadline. To be considered for admission to the graduate OTD program in occupational therapy, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below. The ideal candidate for the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) program will have:
- A Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or University by May 31 (or before) of the year they are applying. A degree in any area of study will be accepted.
- A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (Applicants whose overall undergraduate GPA is below 3.0 will be considered if they earned a minimum 3.0 GPA in their last two years of study and across all the prerequisite coursework).
- A 3.0 or higher GPA on all prerequisite coursework.
- Completed all prerequisites within five (5) years of the November 1 application deadline.
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) within five (5) years of the application deadline with minimum scores of (Applicants whose scores are below the minimum may be considered.)
- Verbal ≥ 150 verbal,
- Quantitative ≥ 145
- Analytical writing ≥ 3.5
- Clear admission to the Graduate College of UTRGV
- Documented evidence of volunteer, work, or service experiences/hours
- Three references /recommendation letters
- Personal Statement (Standard Essay)
- Application to the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy Schools (OTCAS)
Required Prerequisite Courses
Applicants must show evidence of satisfactory completion (minimum 3.0 GPA) of the following courses within 5 years of the application deadline.
Anatomy & Physiology I (lecture & lab) 4 credit hours
Anatomy & Physiology Il (lecture & lab) 4 credit hours
Basic Statistics 3 credit hours
Biomechanics 3 credit hours
Intro to Psychology 3 credit hours
Human Development Across Lifespan 3 credit hours
Abnormal Psychology 3 credit hours
Anthropology or Sociology 3 credit hours
Recommended Elective Courses:
- Ethics or Social Justice, General Physics, Technical Writing, & Medical Terminology.
Coursework:
All coursework must be completed at the college or university level. Coursework must be semester hours or equivalent from an accredited institution with an earned grade of C or better (C- and below is not acceptable). A grade of "D" or "F" will not be accepted for any prerequisite courses. Students may re-take prerequisite courses. The grades for the classes will be averaged together if they are taken within the 5-year time frame. If five (5) years have elapsed, then grades outside the 5-year time frame will not be averaged. Advanced Placement (AP) credit is acceptable for prerequisite coursework.